Democrat Disgraceful Ploy

[dellinger63]

BTW Why do Dems feel PBS needs to be fed funded? If it can't stand on its own it needs to go.

Also wish the Tea Party would wake up and realize in this modern age of online billing and email there is little need for a Post Office and the money saved by shutting that down would be huge! Not to mention the reduction in emissions coming from all of their vehicles and the vacant property that could be sold or leased out.

$75 Billion yearly budget
218,000 vehicles
36,400 Post Offices some of them huge buildings. Not to metion sorting and distribution centers.
596,000 employees and their future pensions and benis.

Huge money!

[GBBob]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

BTW Why do Dems feel PBS needs to be fed funded? If it can't stand on its own it needs to go.

Also wish the Tea Party would wake up and realize in this modern age of online billing and email there is little need for a Post Office and the money saved by shutting that down would be huge! Not to mention the reduction in emissions coming from all of their vehicles and the vacant property that could be sold or leased out.

$75 Billion yearly budget
218,000 vehicles
36,400 Post Offices some of them huge buildings. Not to metion sorting and distribution centers.
596,000 employees and their future pensions and benis.

Huge money!

So those 600,000 people that would now be jobless and collecting unemployment doesn't bother you? Oh yeah..it would would make the unemployment % so that's a good thing because the righties could bitch about that again

[Danzig]

i'd rather pay the unemployment benefits to unnecessary govt workers than keep them on the payroll. not a good argument for keeping agencies bloated, or for failing to cut military spending because senators and reps are all for cutting until its the base in their state/district. we all recognize that things have to cut-now it's time to take a deep breath and begin the amputations. we can't afford sacred cows, we can't afford to keep doing what we're doing.

[geeker2]

The Center for Responsive Politics reports that the Planned Parenthood political action committee donated $286,986 to federal candidates in the 2010 election cycle, 99% of it to Democrats.

No wonder the DEM's want to keep them funded

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

BTW Why do Dems feel PBS needs to be fed funded? If it can't stand on its own it needs to go.

Also wish the Tea Party would wake up and realize in this modern age of online billing and email there is little need for a Post Office and the money saved by shutting that down would be huge! Not to mention the reduction in emissions coming from all of their vehicles and the vacant property that could be sold or leased out.

$75 Billion yearly budget
218,000 vehicles
36,400 Post Offices some of them huge buildings. Not to metion sorting and distribution centers.
596,000 employees and their future pensions and benis.

Huge money!

Yes, it is huge money, and virtually none of it comes from the Federal Gov't: the Post Office is required, by law, to be self-funding for general operations and capital improvements. So you don't need to worry, Del; you don't pay for the mail, other than for a few programs for the needy, as in, the blind. And it's required by law to charge the same rate no matter where the mail goes, whether down the block or to Alaska.

In fact, if the PO were allowed to actually run like a private business, it could cut unprofitable routes and stop delivering on Saturdays, not to mention charge more to send mail to less populated areas, like, say, Arkansas. So it could run five days a week and provide most of its cheaper service to big cities, while cutting out rural routes and charging more for areas that aren't near a big city. But it's not allowed to. While it doesn't get federal funds, other than for things like providing service to the blind and some overseas mail to citizens, it's required to get Congress' approval for any raise in rates or cuts.

As someone who has had to use the mail service in other nations, I really don't get the hatred for the Post Office here- it's cheaper than mail service is overseas and it's much, much more reliable. It is actually something we do better here than anywhere else.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

Also wish the Tea Party would wake up and realize in this modern age of online billing and email there is little need for a Post Office and the money saved by shutting that down would be huge!

The Post Office doesn't use tax dollars from the budget.

[Danzig]

from a google search...

The USPS does get some taxpayer support. Around $96 million is budgeted annually by Congress for the "Postal Service Fund." These funds are used to compensate USPS for postage-free mailing for all legally blind persons and for mail-in election ballots sent from US citizens living overseas. A portion of the funds also pays USPS for providing address information to state and local child support enforcement agencies.

Under federal law, only the Postal Service can handle or charge postage for handling letters. Despite this virtual monopoly worth some $45 billion a year, the law does not require that the Postal Service make a profit -- only break even. Still, the US Postal Service has averaged a profit of over $1 billion per year in each of the last five years. Yet, Postal Service officials argue that they must continue to raise postage at regular intervals in order make up for the increased use of email.


dell, no doubt you mean well....but the postal service isn't why this country is broke.

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by Danzig

Despite this virtual monopoly worth some $45 billion a year, the law does not require that the Postal Service make a profit -- only break even. Still, the US Postal Service has averaged a profit of over $1 billion per year in each of the last five years. .

The Postal Service itself disagrees.

USPS is trying to curb steep losses. It posted a $3.8 billion loss in its 2009 fiscal year, the latest in a multiyear string of whopping losses. Mail volume was down 12.7% for the year, a trend the agency expects to continue over the next decade as more consumers opt for online bill payments and message delivery.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/02/news/economy/usps/

[timmgirvan]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

The Postal Service itself disagrees.

USPS is trying to curb steep losses. It posted a $3.8 billion loss in its 2009 fiscal year, the latest in a multiyear string of whopping losses. Mail volume was down 12.7% for the year, a trend the agency expects to continue over the next decade as more consumers opt for online bill payments and message delivery.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/02/news/economy/usps/

I think 1 year in the last 10 the post office made money.

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by Riot

The Post Office doesn't use tax dollars from the budget.

Who will inherit their debt? You know "The cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service announced Tuesday that it will incur about $238 billion in losses in the next 10 years if Congress doesn't permit it to revamp its outdated business model." 3/2/10."

We're already one year into the 10 and $238 BILLION is REAL money!

There is little need for the PO and less need for a $238 billon dollar bill for sticking our heads in the sand.

as far as the USPO making money? lol

"USPS has already begun taking the axe to its budget. The agency made $6 billion in cuts last year, reducing its workforce by about 40,000 employees and chopping overtime hours, transportation costs and other expenses. Congress passed legislation allowing the organization to cut retiree health benefit payments by $4 billion.

Despite those measures, the agency still expects a net loss of $7.8 billion in fiscal 2010."

and quoting CNN feels sweet!

http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/02/news/economy/usps/

BTW I started this thread based on the statements of Harry Reid regarding his wife, daughters and grand-daughters and am wondering why he doesn't just provide them with health insurance instead of having them rely on Planned Parenthood clinics for care? I take it his wife is covered under his Senate policy so someone should poke him and let him know. Pitiful for the wife of the leader of the US Senate to be chauffered to a Planned Parenthood appointment for a breast exam.